Co-created by the Wadden Sea

Abstract

In Anna-Rosja Haveman’s essay, the largely forgotten work of the Groningen artist Han Jansen is examined. Her analysis unpacks the artistic oeuvre, within a broader perspective of the nature-culture debates in art and society. The public discussion that emerged around the Waddenprojects brings to bear contrasting ideas about nature in society. By embedding the project in the historical context of emerging environmental activism, the tensions inherent in art that aims to ‘raise awareness of nature’ become clear. As illustrated, the position of Han Jansen remains paradoxical: while he certainly intended to contribute to the awareness of nature and reconfigured hierarchies between humans and nature during the making process, the project created an image of a human, the artist, as polluter without further reflection on the ethics of his own actions.